Shine a Light: The Role of Consultants in Fostering a Learning Culture at Foundations April 2, 2015 By Visceral_Dev_Admin Noticeably absent on the list of reasons foundations cite for engaging consultants is learning—a particularly important attribute for foundations that grapple with complex issues in dynamic environments. Consultants are particularly well positioned to help foundations in the learning process. They help organizations understand and create models and frameworks, implement strategies and mechanisms within them, overcome … Continued
Relational Capacity: A New Approach to Capacity Building in Philanthropy January 1, 2015 By Visceral_Dev_Admin “What you see is what you get.” This phrase is often used to describe a person who is very straightforward, but it can have another meaning—what you are able to see, what you choose to notice, affects what you can accomplish. As consultants at TCC Group, where we work with funders of all types to … Continued
Capacity Building 3.0: How to Strengthen the Social Ecosystem January 11, 2014 By Visceral_Dev_Admin The social sector has evolved to incorporate multiple stakeholders and organizations to solve social issues, working together in a larger ecosystem to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and scale. The process of building the systems, structures, and skills necessary for success in this environment, commonly referred to as “capacity building,” has played an active role in the … Continued
Ten Keys – Ten Years Later: Successful Strategic Planning for Foundation Leaders January 1, 2014 By Visceral_Dev_Admin In 2004, TCC Group published a briefing paper entitled, “Ten Keys to Successful Strategic Planning for Nonprofit and Foundation Leaders.” Ten years later, the philanthropic landscape has continued to evolve, and we offer an updated set of ten keys for funders considering a strategic planning effort. While this update focuses specifically on funders because of … Continued
Foundation Strategies to Inform Federal Policy in the United States May 10, 2013 By Lindsay Emery A Study to Support the Evaluation of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Promoting Equitable and Sustainable Transportation Initiative Using philanthropy as a strategy for federal policy reform in the United States is not a new concept. Yet, little has been done to assess exactly why foundations choose to engage in federal policy reform efforts, what strategies they … Continued
Pathways to Grow Impact: Philanthropy’s Role in the Journey January 2, 2013 By Visceral_Dev_Admin This briefing paper is the result of a collaborative project with Ashoka, Social Impact Exchange, Taproot Foundation, and TCC Group that sought to answer the question: How can grantmakers best support high-performing nonprofits in their efforts to grow their impact? “Pathways to Grow Impact” is for any grantmaker who wants his or her grant dollars … Continued
Coordinated Funding: Lessons from a Place-Based Grantmaking Collaborative October 10, 2012 By Lindsay Emery In the Fall of 2010, five grantmakers serving Washtenaw County, Michigan, launched a “Coordinated Funding” model which they hoped would streamline grantmaking efforts, build partnerships, and increase effectiveness of the local health and human services sector. These funders, including the United Way of Washtenaw County, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, the City of Ann … Continued
Designing Effective Foundation Program Strategy February 2, 2012 By Visceral_Dev_Admin Strong grantmaking programs reflect a foundation’s values, balance internal capacities with the external environment, and address constituents’ needs. This briefing paper shares the five essential steps to creating programs with impact.
Driving Strategy for Social Impact January 2, 2011 By Visceral_Dev_Admin TCC Group offers frameworks and advice to guide nonprofits and funders through a rigorous strategy process. An effective strategy provides social sector leaders with criteria for making important decisions and increasing the overall quality of their work.
The Best of the Humanistic and Technocratic: Why the Most Effective Work in Philanthropy Requires a Balance January 1, 2011 By Visceral_Dev_Admin This Foundation Review article highlights the need for a blended strategy and ways funders can be more effective, including: As a more technocratic approach to philanthropy has emerged over the past 15 years, it has been seen as the opposite of humanistic philanthropy. Rather than a dichotomy, these approaches are on a continuum. The best … Continued
What Makes an Effective Coalition? Evidence-Based Indicators of Success January 1, 2011 By Visceral_Dev_Admin What are the crucial ingredients for an effective coalition or network, and how can they be cultivated and evaluated? Based on a literature review and TCC Group’s own knowledge and experience, this briefing paper shares research on best practices with regard to effective advocacy coalitions. This work was commissioned by The California Endowment, a leading … Continued
What Makes an Effective Advocacy Organization? A Framework for Determining Advocacy Capacity January 13, 2009 By Visceral_Dev_Admin In an effort to develop frameworks and methodologies to be able to meaningfully evaluate policy change efforts, TCC Group conducted an evaluation of a cohort of advocacy organizations who were receiving general support from The California Endowment. This resulting paper draws on a variety of sources, looking at the context for policy and advocacy work … Continued
Empowering Communities for TB Advocacy: The TAG-ICW Model January 4, 2009 By Visceral_Dev_Admin Over eight years, TCC provided formative data to Treatment Action Group (TAG) to help them understand the impact of their global work in TB and HIV. As part of that, TCC Group evaluated the quality and impact of their Advocacy Workshops, developed case profiles of individual activists, interviewed global stakeholders, and assessed the effectiveness of … Continued
Strategic Philanthropy: Maximizing Family Engagement and Social Impact January 4, 2008 By Visceral_Dev_Admin Many family foundations start out giving to causes based on trustees’ personal interests. As they grow, more family members with more interests become involved, making the giving more diffuse. Many assume that a scattered approach is the cost of involving family members—that in order to establish and maintain participation, family members must be allowed to … Continued
When Things Fall Apart: Building Organizational Strength of Humanitarian Aid Organizations January 2, 2008 By Visceral_Dev_Admin Humanitarian aid organizations (HAOs) constantly balance competing demands: developmental change with emergency relief; visible and immediate impact with long-term sustainability; and donor and media demands with the needs of the population. HAOs are usually the first on the scene in the wake of a disaster, and as more organizations enter the field and solicit public … Continued